Soda is an amazing drink. It is sparkling, it is fizzy, it tastes like heaven itself. Theproblem, however, is that it is nowhere near healthy, and Doctors have managed to connect dozens or even hundreds of different health issues to participating in this fizzy tradition. You could, in fact, be spending your time drinking an alternative that contains the vitamins and minerals you need.

To say that soda is useless to your body would be an understatement. Gans says: “In my opinion, there’s really one major reason to not drink soda, it has absolutely no nutritional value. Soda is filled with sugar and calories and nothing else.” This includes diet sodas (which open up an entirely different can of worms) which claim to be healthier, but in reality, are not. You could, in fact, choose a healthy drink that contains vitamins and minerals useful to the body. This, of course, includes plain water which can rehydrate you without adding extra calories to your current diet.

Obesity is a worldwide epidemic, though admittedly more so in the United States than anywhere else. The link between soda and obesity is undeniable, being loaded with high-fructose corn syrup. In fact, Soda has been linked to the development of Type 2 diabetes, and diet soda has been shown to increase appetite via the included artificial sweeteners. Those who consume diet will have a much harder time losing weight.

You will find that soda does, in fact, damage your teeth. Over time, the sugar in soda will coat your teeth and combine with the bacteria present in your mouth. This combination ill from acid, slowly causing the degradation of your tooth enamel.

Just as it weakens your teeth, it can also weaken your bones. Soda contains ingredients that have been linked to osteoporosis, and though the jury is still out, it is thought that consuming soda in place of milk will deprive the body of calcium. There are still many who advocate NOT drinking milk, but many experts do believe that you should substitute milk for pop whenever possible.

Believe it or not, on top of all of this, you can suffer organ damage from drinking soda. This includes:

Though you might have trouble kicking the soda habit, there are many different alternatives which include:

Water:This is the best one. It’s free, it’s everywhere, you can get it from any tap. Actually, in America, you can get a glass free at any restaurant.

Fruit juice: It is recommended that you avoid drinking straight fruit juice as it contains a lot of sugar. Instead, you could try drinking seltzer with a bit of fruit juice for flavor. In addition to that, always eat a piece of whole fruit to get the fiber.

Milk: An 8-ounce glass of nonfat milk contains 80 calories and nine essential nutrients. This renders milk as one of the healthiest drinks, especially for kids. This is one drink you cannot afford to miss.

Tea: There are lots of different teas out there, from green to black, herbal, all of them have high levels of antioxidants which can defend your body from damage.

Powdered Drink Mix: These contain no carbonation, and therefore no risk of tooth rot. They also come in sugar-free formats, giving you the sweet tooth fix you need without all of the nasty consequences.

If you aren’t in the mood for a drink, per se, you can always have some fresh fruit and a nice glass of water. Choosing healthy drinks instead of the alternative might be the most important thing you ever do!